Shipping container and package for lamp shade kits



M. M. HOPPER Oct. 18, 1955 SHIPPING CONTAINER AND PACKAGE FOR LAMP SHADEKITS Filed Auz. 30, 1954 United States Patent C) SHIPPING CONTAINER ANDPACKAGE FOR LAMP SHADE KITS- Mary M. Hopper, Barto, Pa. ApplicationAugust 30, 1954, Serial No. 452,763

4 Claims. (Cl. 20647) This invention relates to packaging and relatesmore particularly to the packaging of lamp shade and like kits whichcomprise component elements which are delicate and highly susceptible tomutilation and also metallic or other hard rigid parts which might causesuch mutilation and which must be segregated in the package.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a shipping and storingpackage, primarily for lamp shade kits of the character herein describedbut suitable also for kits of like nature, which shall be characterizedby relative simplicity of form and structure and low production cost,high functional eificiency, and relatively high facility of assembly andlow expense.

Another object of the invention is to provide a package of the statedcharacter and for the stated purpose having a minimum number ofinividual parts aside from the elements of the kit itself.

The invention resides further in certain novel. and func tionallysignificant structural. details hereinafter described and illustrated inthe attached drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is an exploded view in perspective showing the several separatecomponent elements of the lamp shade kit which the package is designedto hold;

Fig. 2 is a face view of a blank of cardboard or other suitable sheetmaterial constituting a major element of the package;

Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of the blank of Fig. 2 folded andsecured in final form;

Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of the assembled package with the coverflaps of the outer carton open to expose the interior sub-assembly ofthe package and Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 55 indicatingalso in broken lines the manner in which the package is developed forthe inclusion therein of the elements of an additional lamp kit.

With reference to the drawings, the lamp shade kit illustrated in Fig. 1and for which the package forming the subject of the invention wasprimarily designed, comprises a lamp shade cover 1 in blank form, thatis to say, in the form of a flat segmental sheet or composite sheetwhich when joined at the end edges in known manner will produce a lampshade cover of conventional form, in the present instance, in the formof a truncated cone. This cover blank may be of any desired characterand may have on its face a finished ornamental design or the outline ofa design which may be completed by the purchaser. The cover may forexample be of the pierced character and in that case would normally havesecured over the inner face thereof a loosely applied transparent innerfacing. In other cases, the lamp shade blank may be free from design soas to permit the purchaser to apply an original or other design, and inthis instance also a design pattern or patterns may be included in thekit for transfer to the cover sheet for subsequent finishing in detailby the purchaser.

In addition to the cover element 1 the kit will normally contain a metalor other ring 2 constituting a framing element for the lower edge of thelamp shade and 2,720,964 Patented Oct. 18, 1955 adapted to be secured tothe lower edge of the cover by means hereinafter described. A similarring 3 is provided for the upper edge of the cover and this ring willcomprise also the means for attaching the shade to a lamp, aconventional means being shown in the drawing comprising four radialarms 4 extending inwardly from the ring and attached at their inner endsto a supporting collar 5. This collar is adapted to receive ashade-supporting element of suitable known form. The upper ring 3 fitsthe upper edge of the cover and in assembly is secured thereto asdescribed below. The kit further comprises a container 6 which in thepresent instance holds a roll 7 of binding tape or ribbon and a secondroll 8 of relatively narrow trim material, such for example as velvetribbon for use in conjunction with the tape 7 to finish the shade. Thekit is completed in the present instance by a small bottle or othercontainer 9 for adhesive, and a brush 10 by means of which the adhesivemay be applied.

In producing the finished shade from these component parts the end edgesof the cover 1 are overlapped and cemented by means of the adhesive toproduce the truncated conical shade cover. The rings 2 and 3 may then beattached by first adhesively securing one longitudinal edge of the tape7 or sections thereof to the outer surface of the cover and continuouslyaround the upper and lower edges of the cover and then passing the freelongitudinal edges of thetapes around the rings and securing said edgesby adhesive to the inner surface of the cover. The edges of the bindingtape 7 on the outer surface of the shade may then be lined with theribbon 8 adhesively attached. Shades of this character are well known inthe art and the method of assembling the elements contained in the kitwill be clearly described in instructions enclosed in the package.

In packaging a kit of this character for shipping or for storage, therelatively delicate and frangible cover element 1 which is highlysusceptible to damage by abrasion or by pressure contact with hardobjects, must be well protected against contact with the metallic rings2 and 3 and also against contact with the relatively hard elements 6, 9and 10. It must also be well protected from shock and impact fromsources external to the package. It is desirable further that thepackage be relatively inexpensive and of a character to facilitate thepacking operation. To these multiple ends the package comprises an innermember 11 consisting of a base sheet 12 having at one end a rectangularhollow receptacle 13' adapted to receive the cover element 1 after thelatter has been rolled into generally cylindrical form as indicated inFig. l and shown in broken lines in Fig. 4. The rolled up cover elementis preferably wrapped in soft tissue and is immobilized within thereceptacle by the tissue wrapper which fills the space between the coverelement and the walls of the compartment. The cover element is thussubstantially immune to the effects of impact to which the package isinevitably subjected in shipping.

The member 11 is designed for production from a flat blank 14 which maybe composed of cardboard or other suitable fibrous or plastic materialof adequate rigidity and inherent strength. This blank is scored alonglines 15, 16, 17 and 18 which correspond to the corners of therectangular receptacle 13 and on which lines the blank is bent to theform illustrated in Fig. 3. The end panel 19 of the blank lies flatlyagainst the base sheet 12, as best shown in Figs. 3 and 5, and issecured in place by adhesive when the blank 14 is folded as describedabove to the form shown in Fig. 3. The blank 14 is also slit at 20, 21and 22 at one longitudinal side of the blank and inwardly along thescored lines 15, 16 and 17 respectively and at the inner ends of theslits are scored lines 24 and 25 to facilitate folding at the tabs 26and receivesthe cover 1 and to frequently happens, however, that lampshades rnent from theaccessory elements 6, 9

conventional manner. Preferably the cartons a r 3 r 27 formed by theslits at right angles from the planes of the panels 28 and 29 of which,in the blank, they constitute terminal 7 parts.

Before, or after, insertion of the cover element 1 in thereceptacle '13as described above, the tabs-26 and '27 are folded in-the mannerillustrated in Fig. 4 so as,

in effect, to block off one end of the compartment which form at the endof the rectangular receptacle 13 a compartment for reception of thecontainers 6 and 9 and of the brush 10, as also illustrated in Fig. 4.

The blank14 is also slit along lines 30 and 31, said slits terminatingshort of the side edges of the blank so as to form a strap 32 which maybe drawn out of its normal plane for insertion between itself and theflat body of the blank of the rings 2 and 3, these rings underlying thebase sheet 12 as illustrated in Fig. 4 and being segregated'by twolayers of the sheet material of the blank from the cover 1 in itscompartment described above. Y

'The package is completed by an outer carton-33 of conventional form andconstruction and of a size to neatly receive the inner member 11 asillustrated in Fig. 4. Where a single kit is shipped in the carton 33,the space between the upstanding rectangular receptacle of the innermemberand the confronting walls of the carton may be filled with loosepaper, shredded tissue or other suitable bulk packing material asindicated at Fig.5. It

in pairs for matching lamps. and the package is designed to accommodatetwo of the kits described above with no modification other than theprovision of a second rectangular compartment on the inner member. Thiscompartment is formed by a second and separately formed rectangularreceptacle 34 adhesively secured to the outer free end of the base 12 ofthe inner member opposite the receptacle 13 described above. This otherreceptacle, identical inform to the receptacle 13, will receive thesecond lamp shade cover and will. have tabs correspond ing to the tabs26 and 27 to segregate the cover compartand 10. The extra pair of ringscorresponding to the rings 2 and 3 may in this case be inserted with theother rings under 'the'base '12 and between the bottom of the basemember and the band 32 so that the inner member will in this case form aunit as in the original package described above. The space between thetwo receptacles 13 will then be filled with the packing material asdescribed above. a I I The carton 33 contains the usual closure flaps 35which may be folded and secured to complete the package in the are madeare bought A sufficiently deeper than required for a single lamp shadekit to accommodate the additional 'bulk of the double kit describedabove. by insertion of a third coverreceptacle (not shown) be tween tworeceptacles described above and preferably secured in place by adhesiveto contain the lamp shade cover and the accessory elements, and in thiscase the additional rings corresponding to the rings 2 and 3 may beplaced under the inner assembly. In this case some additional height maybe required in the outercarton and the originalcarton may be madeaccordingly; or an independent carton of adequate depth may be employed.

1 claim: I I

1. A shipping package for lamp shade kits of the class comprising cover,frame and accessory elements, said package comprising an outerprotective carton, and a detachable insert fitted to the interior. ofthe carton for retaining said elements in relatively segregated assemblywithin thecarton, said insert comprising a base member overlying theframe elements in the bottom of the carton, a receptacle at one end ofand extending upwardly from said base member and containing the saidcover, said receptacle terminating at one end short of the proxi-' mateedgeof the base member, and tabs on said member folded to form aterminalwall at the said endof the receptacle and defining one side of acompartment between the said end of the receptacle'and the confrontingwall of the carton containing the said accessory elements.

2. A package according to claim 1 wherein the insert is composedofanintegral piece of sheet material folded at one end to form thereceptacle for the cover element.

3. A package according to claim 1 wherein the tabs 7 constitute integralextensions of the top and bottom Walls of the receptacle and wherein theside walls of the receptacle extend beyond the end thereof to formsidewalls for the accessory containing compartment.

References Cited in the file of this patent 'UNITED STATES PATENTS-1,328,524 Knapp Jan. 20, 1920 1,585,684 Oppenheim May 25, 1926 1,678,370Vaughan July 24, 1928 2,024,970 Lawrie Dec. 17, 1935 If desired, a thirdkit may be shipped l and a second set

